Grad Enrollment Policies

Each quarter students should enroll in a minimum of 12 units of graduate level or upper division undergraduate level courses via webreg. 

Graduate Special Studies courses are those numbered 297, 298, and 299. 

All requests to enroll in Physics Special Studies courses must be submitted through the Enrollment Authorization System (EASy). Students should submit their EASy only after they have met with their proposed faculty supervisor and obtained their approval for the project (click here for contact info. of all PHYS faculty).

Students should follow the instructions below to properly complete their Special Studies request in EASy. 

Quarter: Select the term you want to enroll in the special studies course (you must submit a new request for each course each term). 

Request Type: Select Special Studies (do not select "Preauthorization")

Department/Program: Select Physics even if your faculty supervisor is in another department.

Course: Select the special studies course you want from the list. 

Instructor: If your proposed instructor does not appear, please click here to request that they be added (we’ll contact you once they’re added). 

Section: In most cases, you will not have to enter anything in this field. If you do, then there is likely to only be one option you can select. 

Grading Option: In most cases, you will not have to enter anything in this field. If you do, then there is likely to only be one option you can select.  

Requested Total Number of Units: Select the number of units you would like to earn for the selected class. If this option is not available and your request is approved, you may select the number of units you would like to earn when you enroll via WebReg. Keep in mind:

  • Each unit consists of 3 hours of work per week and 10 hours of research over the course of the quarter. The number of units you request should tpyically be based on the average number of hours you plan to commit to the course weekly throughout the term).

Number of units previously received for this project: You can list any number (this field is aimed at undergrads but cannot be left blank, per campus)

Prerequisite coursework or knowledge for this project: Indicate any past courses, knowledge, skills, and/or abilities their faculty supervisor has said is necessary to prepare for the project. 

Nature and frequency of contact (hours per week): Spell out how they will divvy up the use of the minimum weekly contact hours for the course. Hours may be spent reading, researching, writing, meeting with the professor and/or group members, or there may be other activities. Here are two examples of what a student might write in this section for a 4-unit Special Studies course (notice that each activity type and corresponding hours are always spelled out, as required for PHYS requests):

  • 1hr reading, 2hrs meeting w/ prof/group, 8hrs research, 1hr write-ups
  • 8hrs research, 1hr meeting w/ prof, 1hr reading, 2hrs writing

Means of Evaluation (paper, final, etc.): Report how your faculty supervisor has indicated they will determine whether or not you have passed the class. The instructor may require written coursework (eg. weekly write-ups, paper(s), etc.), one/more presentations, completion of an exam, and/or something else. Be sure to get your faculty member to clearly indicate the criteria that will be used to evaluate you when it’s time to enter grades. 

Proposed plan: Draft a  5-7 sentence description of their research or readings project.

Supporting documentation: You do not need to attach anything to your request.